Over the years, I have been to the Petronas Towers a number of times, sometimes for work and often just as a tourist, or shopper. They always amaze. Unlike basic "brick and mortar" buildings, these were built with the intent to stand out and impress. At night, when lit up, even more so.
Located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the nearly identical buildings were completed in 1996 and, at 1,483 feet (452 m), were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. The two buildings are connected via a skybridge on levels 41 and 42, which also serves as a viewing deck. For those wanting to go higher, you can get a ticket to level 86.
To get to the skybridge, just get a ticket on the ground floor and climb into the double-decker elevator, bottom deck, as tourists are only allowed on level 41. If you are continuing to level 86, make sure you get the appropriate ticket, and you will need to change elevators at level 41 to continue on up. Even from Level 41, you have an incredible, fairly unobstructed view of Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding hills. Level 86 provides essentially the same view, but of course, from another 450 feet or so higher.
As with the Burj in Duba, the grounds surrounding the Towers are open, incorporating walking trails, fountains, playgrounds and even a small children's pool into what is essentially a large park. It's well worth a walk around, weather permitting. The directly adjoining Suria KLCC shopping mall is about 6 stories high itself with hundreds of stores and enough eateries to ensure you find what you need. It is fairly easy to make your Petronas Towers a day-long activity incorporating a visit up the Towers, a walk around the grounds, and some shopping and eating at the mall.
A couple of quick tips. There are a limited number of tickets to go up the Towers, so best to get there early, for this reason and to avoid queues which do form later in the day. The monsoon season here is roughly April-October. Typically, that does not mean the entire day is a wash; however, if you are visiting during this time of year, it is best to get up the Towers earlier in the day as storms typically start rolling in early to mid-afternoon.
Comments